1980s At A Glance

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Fads, Fashion Trends: Sergio Valente, Sasson, Calvin Klein, Guess Jeans, 501s, Pac Man, Jheri Curl, Rubik's Cube, Preppie Look, Spiked hair, The Wave (stadiums), Chia Pets, Reebok, Leg warmers, Glo worms, Yuppies, Michael Jackson Clothes, Swatch Watches, Valley Girls, I'll Be Back (saying), Where's the Beef (Wendy's Commercials), Jolt Cola, Nintendo, MTV and VH1, Macintosh, Miami Vice, The Cosby Show, the California Raisins, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Energizer bunny, Sega, The Simpsons, Cyndi Lauper and Madonna, Feathered Hair, Ray-Bans, OP shirts, Parachute Pants, Vans,

Slang: Airhead, awesome, barf me out, cheesy, chill, choice (cool), coach potato, dipstick, do lunch, dweeb, gag me with a spoon, gross, have a cow, lame, like, mall hair, poser, Preppie, Psych (gotcha), scumbag, slamdance, spaz, stoked, to the max, totally, Valley Girl, veg,

Source: Wikipedia

1980s were symbolized by the presidency of Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1989 (a period termed the "Reagan Years")

The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989

Compact discs are introduced in 1983.

Popularization of personal computers, Walkmans, VHS videocassette recorders, and cassette players

The first Space Shuttle mission, STS-1, aboard Space Shuttle Columbia launched in 1981

Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986.

Microsoft releases the first versions of Windows

First commercial hand-held mobile phone - Motorola DynaTAC 8000X (1983).

AIDS: By 1985-1986 it is declared a pandemic as it spreads across sub-saharan Africa.

The release of Americans held hostage in Iran occurs on January 20, 1981

Political correctness becomes a concern in mainstream politics.

Arcade games become very popular: Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Frogger.

Assassination of John Lennon

Attempts on Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II.

Fashion:

Dance clothing due to the movies Fame and Flashdance.

Power Dressing for women which included shoulder pads.

Pastel colors for men thanks to Miami Vice.

High priced shoes from  Reebok and Nike

Big hair for women and the mullet (we called it a Bi-level and yes I had one for awhile).

The Jheri curl for African Americans.

Music:

MTV when they used to show videos.

Top-charting artists of the 1980s include The Police, Pat Benatar, Lionel Richie, The Go-Go's, Dire Straits, Duran Duran, Van Halen, Foreigner, Phil Collins, Huey Lewis and the News, Juice Newton, Def Leppard, Deacon Blue, Bryan Adams, Queen, U2, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Dead Or Alive, Cher, Rick Springfield, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Olivia Newton-John, Guns N' Roses, Prince, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Beastie Boys, Amy Grant, Laura Branigan and Bon Jovi.

Television:

Popular shows were; Miami Vice, Cheers, The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Dynasty, The Golden Girls, 60 Minutes, Dallas, Magnum P.I., The A-Team, 21 Jump Street.

Movies:

Ghostbusters, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, E.T., Blade Runner, Aliens, The Terminator, Predator, Back to the Future, Rambo, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Platoon, Dirty dancing, Footloose, Flashdance, and in 1989 The Little Mermaid.